Our busy life with an amazing veterinarian and cattleman, a gardening, quilting and history loving wife and mother, a creative perfectionist violinist, a spunky and kind epileptic princess, a sweet yet wild little man, and the most mellow and happy babe, on a joyful 1/2 acre living and loving in a beautiful mountain valley.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

I have been sewing today and yesterday and it has been glorious! I have ALWAYS loved piecing quilts together and making fun fun quilt blocks, but lately, I have been MAKING myself do it. All I want to do is sew 1860s clothing! Seriously, that is all I want to sew. So, I told myself yesterday that I needed to work on my friendship blocks (due March 4th) before I could make petticoats. Here is a naked snowman for Heather that needs some eyes, a nose, a scarf, and something else. But hey, the snowman is finished!

Here is part of Santa's patchwork coat for Kandy. He is going to turn out so darling! But Santa had to be left alone because he is a multiple day project and I had pantaloons to make!

Now, on to the old stuff. This is the bottom hem of Kelsey's pantaloons/drawers. I think they turned out so darling! She likes them too. When she tried them on, Kendal asked me where her's were. So I hurried and make Kendal a pair today too! I need to make them both a couple more pairs.

I am making Kelsey's baptism dress from an 1860s pattern and I started the bodice today. I got one sleeve attached before I had to resign sewing for the afternoon and start the bread dough for dinner rolls. She tried it on when she got home from school and she says this is her favorite part so far - the pleats on the top of the sleeve.

I got the skirt cut out today so hopefully while the little darlings are sleeping I can get more finished tonight. I can't wait to start on Kendal's dress. I also decided last night that I am going to make them both a couple of chemises. They are going to be so darling in their chemise, then pantaloons, then 2 petticoats, then Civil War reproduction fabric dresses, and a pinafore. I can not wait! Summer reenacting here we come! Oh dang, I need to get something made for Emmitt!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Saturday Matt, Kelsey, and Kendal headed down to the U of U for the Girls State Chess Tournament. Kelsey loves playing chess and is pretty dang good at it. Emmitt and I stayed home. I had strep, an ear infection, and I have a stinking broken finger! Anyway . . .

Kelsey played 5 matches and came out at 2nd place in the 2nd grade division. She had a great time and she said she made 2 new friends, Amy and Madison. It was a great experience for her. The State Chess Tournment is next month. This one includes the dang males too. Chess is definitely a male dominated deal, so we will see if she wants to attend and how well she does. She placed the last 2 years she went, just not as well as when she just plays with the girls!

Emmitt and I enjoyed our morning alone. I read, relaxed, and tried not to swallow the razor blades in my throat. It was a good day for all.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

We started framing our basement (only half) in August and we are FINALLY insulated and ready for drywall! HOORAY! The drywall man said he will be starting our project next week. You have NO IDEA how excited I am for this!

Also, I finished the bodice on my 1860's day dress. HOORAY! Here it is. It doesn't look like much, but alotof work has gone into it. Actually, I need to add some trim to the fluffy arms, that is what they did back then. All the fashion back then was to make the waist look as small as possible. That meant of course corsets, puffy decorated sleeves, big skirts, chubby hands, wide cheek bones, etc.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

My sweet little Kelsey turned 8 years old this past week. It breaks her poor mom's little heart! She is such a great little girl and she is growing up on me. We don't have friend birthday parties every year - only when they turn 4, 8, 12, and 16. So this year was a big one for her. First because she got to have a friend party, and second because she will be baptized soon. I started making her baptism outfit. I say outfit instead of dress because I have only made the 2 petticoats and bloomers. I am making her baptism dress from an 1860s pattern. It is going to be so darling! Plus, the fabric was some that my mother in law gave me that was her mom's fabric. That means Kelsey's baptism dress will be made out of her great grandmother's fabric. I love it.

For Kelsey's birthday, Emmitt and Kendal gave her a cool little fossil thing. It is a dinosaur fossil in plaster. I did have to explain to her that the fossil was not real or it would be in a museum, but she was okay with that.

She was so excited to get the fossil, just like I thought she would be. She took it for show and tell and the kids loved it too - even the boys!

She made a mess of my kitchen counter getting her little critter out, but she loved every minute of digging and scraping and brushing. She is my little rock hound archaeologist.

This fossil thingy cost me about $6.00. A great 6 dollars spent. I think I will head back to Kings and get a few more.

My Kelsey is a wonderful little girl. She is so smart and nice when she wants to be. That means she KNOWS when she should be nice, just she doesn't always act perfectly nice to her little sister! I guess that is how we all are I suppose. She is a wonderful daughter, a great sister, and a good friend to other kids. I love her so much. She has a big weekend ahead of her - she gets to compete at the girls state chess tournament. I hope she does well and has a good time!

Saturday, February 06, 2010

This is me and my friend Steve P at the Utah Civil War Association Social a few weeks ago. What great people I have met by joining this group. Steve and I did the Virginia Reel and I didn't even mess up too badly. I did waltz with Jake I kept banging my knee into his knee. I know, don't ask - it is possible! I am a horrible dancer. Although I have to admit that Scotty and I did a NICE polka! But that is only because he grew up in Minnesota and knows how to POLKA!

Friday, February 05, 2010

Yesterday I looked out the window to a clear sky and saw snow coming down. It is a strange sight to see - snow coming out of a perfectly happy blue sky. I was reminded of the movie Nanny McPhee. At the end of the movie, there is a happy little June wedding and Nanny McPhee, being magic and all, makes it snow in June. The garden wedding turns into a wonderful white world and all the naughty little children are awestruck. Everyone in the movie seems to be happy about snow in June, but when I watched it all I could think about was "Great, now the tomatoes, carrots, and the flowers are all frosted. What are they going to eat now that their garden has been frozen in June?"

Yeah, that is me - the one that would think of something like that when there is a beautiful magical wedding! Anyway, with the Nanny McPhee thoughts triggered by the snow, also came the funny scene in the movie where all the naughty little English children introduce themselves to Nanny McPhee. Here is the dialog. Imagine it in a nice 19th century English accent.

Kelsey loves that part. She thinks it is so funny and admittedly, so do I. Kendal also thinks it is funny. She is not sure why, but she knows we get a kick out of it. Simon spells fart - F - A - R - T in his introduction with his deep English accent. Kendal knows that is a funny part so she copies it. She walks around the house saying the letters F A R T. She has no idea what she is spelling, and the worst of it is, she has NO IDEA what a fart is. We don't use that word in our house. I am sure she has heard it before, but she does not know the attached meaning. So if you come around and Kendal, in all her wisdom, spells a naughty word at our house, just know she is showing off for you and you better not laugh!

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Emmitt loves to help me clean the ashes out of the wood stove. He also loves to help, I mean make a mess of the wood when I bring it into the house in this little wood holder. He has a particular love for the taste of Engelman Spruce bark. I love the boy!